- Date
- January 30, 1998, 18:38 local (Jan 31, 1998, 01:38 UTC)
- Place
- Sun Valley, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N180AJCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980130000789A
- Case key
- 42752
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's inadvertent actuation of the parking brake.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he had landed earlier on a plowed runway with hard-packed snow and ice surface conditions. He believed that while taxiing for turnaround at the end of the runway, the right-hand brake apparently became hydraulically locked due to engagement of the parking brake mechanism on that side. He stated that at no time was the parking brake handle pulled. He said his takeoff on the icy runway seemed normal, and he was completely unaware of the locked condition of the brake at that time. Upon touchdown at Hailey, the airplane immediately veered violently to the right and the brake remained locked. The airplane swerved to the right before nosing over. Investigation determined that the parking brake locking lever on the right brake cylinder was in its overcenter position, locking the brake.
Factual narrative
On January 30, 1998, approximately 1838 mountain standard time, a Cessna 180, N180AJ, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll at Friedman Memorial Airport, Hailey, Idaho. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The flight, which had originated at Magic Reservoir, was conducted under 14 CFR 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. There was no report of the ELT actuating.
The pilot stated that he had landed at Magic Reservoir, a plowed runway with hard-packed snow and ice surface conditions. He believed that while taxiing for turnaround at the end of the runway, the right-hand brake apparently became hydraulically locked due to engagement of the parking brake mechanism on that side. He stated that at no time was the parking brake handle pulled. He said his takeoff on the icy runway seemed normal, and he was completely unaware of the locked condition of the brake at that time. Upon touchdown at Hailey, the airplane immediately veered violently to the right and the brake remained locked. The airplane swerved to the right before nosing over. Investigation determined that the parking brake locking lever on the right brake cylinder was in its overcenter position, locking the brake. The pilot reported that he never used the parking brake on this airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180AJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31229
- Airframe hours
- 4,820
- Engine
- Continental O-470K, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kevin R. Kellogg
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 1997 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- U93 · Magic Reservoir, ID
- Destination
- KSUN
- Airport
- SUN · Friedman Memorial, runway 31, 6,602 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,780 total · 460 in this make and model · 2,720 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SUN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.